14. Whistler’s Mother by James McNeill Whistler
Originally known as Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, this masterpiece that ranks 14th in our list of most famous paintings in the world was created by American painter James McNeill Whistler in 1871. The muse in this painting is none other than his mother, Anna McNeill Whistler. His intention for this painting was to make it a study in color and form. Currently exhibited at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, this artwork is one of the most renowned paintings by an American artist outside of the US.
The painting was a powerful symbol during the Great Depression depicting mothers stoically facing hardships. President Frankin Roosevelt commissioned it to be used as a Mother’s Day stamp. It was seen in films such as I Am Legend, The Fortune Cookie, Sing and Like It, and Babette’s Feast. It was even central to the story of the movie Bean. It was also part of Don Delillo’s novel Underworld. The painting was recreated in one of the photoshoots in America’s Next Top Model Cycle 5.
13. Self-Portrait Without Beard by Vincent Van Gogh
This is the first of the two Vincent Van Gogh paintings in our list of most famous paintings in the world! Created in 1889, Self-Portrait Without Beard is one of Vincent Van Gogh’s famous paintings. It is a portrait of himself oil painted on canvas. Van Gogh painted the piece for her mother, Anna Cornelia Carbentus van Gogh for her 70th birthday. Not long after, he committed suicide.
The gift was his way of reassuring his mom that he was doing well. But clearly, he wasn’t. Van Gogh created the painting while he was still at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saint-Rémy. For its compelling story and iconic image, this masterpiece definitely deserves a spot on our list of 25 most famous paintings in the world. In 1998, it was sold for $71.5 million at a Christie’s auction.
12. Guernica by Pablo Picasso
Known as Pablo Picasso’s famous work, Guernica, the next one in our list of most famous paintings in the world is recognized as one of the most powerful anti-war paintings ever created. This 1937 mural-sized masterpiece is currently housed at Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. It is 11 feet tall and 25 feet wide! Picasso based his painting on the Hitler-sanctioned bombing of Guernica, a village with no military threat. The painting went on an international tour in the 1940s to support Spanish refugees.
Monochromatic with varying shades of black, gray, and white, the mural was displayed to millions of people at the Paris World’s Fair shortly after it was created. Guernica made the cubism technique famous. This Picasso masterpiece has a global and historical impact like no other.
